How to be More Productive

In this age of Smartphones, tablets, social networking sites and mobile phone apps, distraction isn’t difficult to come by. There is no dearth of excuses when it comes to procrastinating over important work. A call from a friend, a peep at your social networking profile, a little bit of Instant Messaging with a friend etc, these are activities that reduce your productivity at work. If you are into these habits, do not complain if your next appraisal letter isn’t very encouraging. If you want to grow in your career and get rid of these habits, gear up and practice these steps every day at your workplace without fail.

* Prepare a To-Do ListThe first step is to prepare a to-do list. It may sound juvenile, but it is the best way to keep a tab of the activities you need to do during the day. Take on one activity at a time, depending on its priority level, and tick it off your to-do list as you complete it.

* Delegate Your WorkIt is important that you understand that when the work load is tremendous, it is not possible for one person to do all the work alone. You may not have a subordinate or team to take the workload off your hands, but you will always find one or two resources in the office who can lend a hand. Delegate your work to interns or executives in the office to get your work done on time.

* Always keep a notepad with youLearn to use a notepad to take notes or quotes from important meetings. You may think you have a wonderful memory, but it is better to jot down all important points from a meeting or a discussion, for further reference. Most companies prepare minutes of a meeting, and if the task is on you do not try and capture the points of the discussion in your memory. Write it down instead. This way you prepare a document that shows your accuracy and neatness of work.

* When stuck with a problem, move on to the nextDo not waste your entire day over one problem. Remember that your time is precious and you have a lot many tasks to complete before the day ends. When stuck with a task, do not squander away the entire day struggling to find a solution. Find an easy task on your list and complete it first. As you tick it off your to-do list, you will realise how motivated and recharged you feel.

* Block Your CalendarInstead of relying on your memory to remember dates of important meetings and events, use your notepad or even better your calendar. Add in an entry with the details of the meeting or the event in your calendar and set the alarm at least a week before. This way you are reminded a week earlier about the important meeting or event you have to attend and you get the time to make all necessary preparations.